Amplify: Kamala Harris’ Historic Accomplishments

Voters say they still want to know more about Kamala Harris. Please help spread the word about these remarkable accomplishments from her history:

A Defender of Homeowners from Exploitative Big Banks

Kamala Harris won homeowners $20 billion from big banks. After 5 U.S. banks used illicit tactics to wrongfully foreclose on homeowners, they offered a settlement of $4 billion. Kamala Harris, leading the negotiations with 40 other attorneys general, believed this was far too little and refused. Her smart and strategic tactics led to a $20 billion settlement.

As a result, 84,102 California families received reductions in their first or second mortgages. The average eligible homeowner received $20,000 in mortgage aid.

An Early Champion for LGBTQ+ Equality

As California Attorney General, Kamala Harris was an early champion for LGBTQ+ equality. She refused to defend in the courts a California Prop 8, which banned marriage equality in California. Harris took a principled stand that helped repeal the Proposition. The plaintiffs in the case brought to the Supreme Court, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, were California’s first same-sex couple to marry and Kamala Harris officiated the ceremony.

A Criminal Justice Reformer

When she was the District Attorney of San Francisco in the 2010s, Kamala Harris spearheaded successful programs for criminal justice reform. One of her most effective projects was “Back on Track,” which helped first-time drug offenders get a job and a high school diploma instead of doing prison time. The program was revolutionary at the time in 2005, as most prosecutors were embracing lengthy incarceration over rehabilitation.

An Environmental Champion

In 2015, an oil pipeline in Santa Barbara, California broke and burst, spilling 140,000 gallons of crude oil into the area and the Pacific Ocean. Harris swiftly built a civil and criminal case against the pipeline operator. State and local officials collected millions of dollars on behalf of businesses and individuals who were harmed by the spill, including an $11.5 million settlement from Phillips 66 and a $14 million settlement from BP.